


The House on the Coast

by surrealistveilshadows



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-11-02 04:11:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20617811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surrealistveilshadows/pseuds/surrealistveilshadows
Summary: Sansa spends the six months before starting Grad school living at Storm's End, tutoring 12-year-old Shireen Baratheon, and growing closer to both Shireen and her father, Stannis.





	1. Robert's Party (Prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've written anything so bare with me here. I've wanted to write for a long time but got in my own head about it. Probable plot-holes. Explicit rating for later chapters. It's gonna get smutty y'all.

Sansa drove along the coastal highway, thinking of the last time she had been to the old Storm’s End house. It was nearly 5 years ago now, when Robert threw a huge 40th birthday bash for himself. As she observed the gorgeous scenery her mind was suddenly flooded with memories from that night. The party had been a chance for old friends and family to spend time together to reconnect. Her parents had decided to drive down with the whole family in tow to make it a weekend family trip. 

Sansa fondly recalled the rustic, ivy-covered house being filled to the brim with such a crowd, adults spilling out of doorways, kids running around the yard. It was so loud she was surprised the police hadn’t come to shut it down. Now that she thought about it, she was actually pretty sure that Robert was good friends with the local Sherriff and that he and his family were in attendance.

Sansa was standing in the kitchen, nursing a glass of white wine and listening to Robert rant about the good old days of his and Ned’s childhood. She was leaving to start college shortly and couldn’t wait to start her life as an adult. When Ned had mentioned that Sansa would be studying at Vale University, Robert nearly shouted. 

“Well, I’ll be damned! Didn’t I tell you that Joffrey attends Vale? He’s starting his second year. Joffrey come here, boy!” Robert fetched his son from another group of people and re-introduced the two teenagers. 

“Isn’t she gorgeous, my boy?” He grabbed Ned’s shoulder. “Look’s like we may get that Baratheon-Stark wedding after all.” His laugh nearly shook the whole house. Sansa smiled sweetly at Joffrey, who looked like the prince from all of her girlhood fantasies. 

Soon she and Joffrey were walking together through the patch of nature behind the house. This part of the property looked out directly to the ocean and held a windy path that led to a small private beach with a dock. The late evening sun had started its slow descent and the sky glowed orange and pink. It was completely breathtaking. Sansa thought that it looked like a painting.

They sat down on the hill that overlooked it all, Joffrey pulled out a flask from his jacket pocket and tried his best to make Sansa drink more. She had felt apprehensive but was naively charmed by his good looks and rebellious nature so she took a swig from the bottle. She took a few more swigs as he boasted about his spot on the Vale University soccer team and told her that he would invite her to all the best parties. In hindsight, all of the signs of his true nature were there and Sansa became annoyed with herself that she didn’t recognize the red flags. 

Sansa was starting to feel buzzed when Joffrey stuck his tongue down her throat and pressed her into the grass with his body. She didn’t tell him to stop, and some of her was excited that this handsome guy was kissing her. Sansa tried to keep up but desperately wanted things to slow down. He grabbed her left breast over her shirt and gave it a firm squeeze. Sansa gasped and felt warmth pool between her legs. He had started to work his way under her bra when she heard soft whimpers coming from nearby. She broke away from the kiss and sat up, much to Joffrey’s objection. 

“What the hell, Sansa! Listen I won’t fuck you but you can’t get a guy all worked up like that and then not at least get him off.” 

She ignored him and listened to try and locate the source of the whimpers. She stood up and looked down onto the beach and saw a small girl, huddled in a ball crying. 

“There’s a little girl down there, she looks upset.” “Gods, just leave her. I’m sure she’s just doing it for attention.” Sansa shot him a disgusted look. “She’s just a kid. She needs help.”

Sansa could hear Joffrey calling after her as she walked the path that descended onto the beach. When she reached the sand, Sansa saw a young girl with long, dark hair. The girl couldn’t have been more than seven, and she was cradling her knees to her chest and crying. Sansa took a seat next to her. 

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Sansa asked. The startled girl looked up at her with large tear-filled eyes and Sansa’s heart completely broke. She felt an immediate desire to comfort her.  
Sansa recognized the little girl as Shireen Baratheon, Robert’s niece. The daughter of Robert’s younger brother, Stannis. She had met Stannis and his wife when she was younger but didn’t know them very well.

All of the Baratheon brothers owned the Storm’s End house but Stannis and his family were the only ones who lived there permanently, Sansa recalled.

Through stifled cries, Shireen explained “My… mommy… and… daddy… had a… fight.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that, that must not have been fun to hear.” Sansa started to gently rubbed small circles into Shireen’s back and went on “Sometimes mommies and daddies fight but that doesn’t mean that they don’t love each other.”

The girl then threw herself into Sansa’s arms and started to sob. Sansa hugged her tightly and let Shireen cry some of it out. After a few minutes, Sansa tried to take her mind off of the fight and began asking Shireen questions about the beach and the grounds that surrounded her house. 

Shireen slowly started to cheer up and explained to Sansa that she spent a lot of time trying to find different colored birds and then drawing them in her sketchbook. Her daddy loves boats and the ocean so she spent a good deal of time on the beach, but admitted that she wasn’t supposed to be down here by herself.

Sansa asked the girl to show her some of the best places to spot birds and the two walked the property hand-in-hand. Shireen was so excited at this point that she had all but forgotten about her parent’s fight and all of her tears. At this moment Sansa felt a warmness and fondness for Shireen that was quite similar to how she felt about her younger brothers. 

As dusk settled in, Sansa took Shireen back towards the house. When they got close to the yard, a man started rushing towards them. He was tall, lean and had a thick head of dark hair similar to Shireen’s. Stannis Baratheon. 

“Where were you?” He frantically asked Shireen as he knelt down to get on her eye-level and hug her. Sansa silently chastised herself for not bringing the girl back sooner. Of course her parents were looking for her. “Sansa found me on the beach and then we took a walk.” 

Still hugging Shireen, Stannis looked up and locked eyes with Sansa. His dark blue eyes held a mixture of suspicion, worry, and a sort of unidentifiable intensity that made her breath hitch. 

“Sansa Stark” Stannis stated. Not a question. He was registering who she was.

Stannis stood up to face her and Sansa had to crane her neck slightly to look up at him. She was used to being tall so this was out of the norm, but Stannis must have been a good six inches taller than her.

“Yes. I’m Sansa” she nearly croaked out. He had intimidated the hell out of her and all he did was look her in the eyes and say her name. 

“What in gods’ names were you thinking? You should have brought her back here at once.” Stannis bit out.

“I found Shireen on the beach and she had been… upset.” Sansa replied defensively. She then looked down at the girl who was staring up at them with earnest fascination. “We decided to take a walk to get our mind off of things.”

At this point, Sansa had regained her confidence and returned the same challenging look that he was giving her. They held each other’s stare for a few moments, neither breaking. Sansa felt all of the hairs on her arms stand up and she had no idea why. Their eyes broke when a woman yelled from the house “Stannis!” Shireen yelled back “Mama!” 

Shireen grabbed Stannis’ hand and began leading him towards the house. Stannis looked back at Sansa, suspicion still evident in his eyes. “Thank you.” He stated and walked back to the house with Shireen.

Sansa’s mind came back to the road as she saw a sign for the Stormland’s exit. She would be spending the next six months at Storm’s End, working as Shireen’s tutor. She was excited about this next experience. So much had happened in the five years since Robert’s party, and Sansa thought about how much she had grown since then. How proud she was of herself of the woman she had become and was still becoming. She wondered how much Shireen had changed, hoping that she was still the same sweet and mild-tempered girl she remembered. She thought about Stannis and wondered if she would still be intimidated by him. That brief interaction had left Stannis a complete mystery to Sansa.


	2. Arrival

Sansa drove up the driveway and got out of her old, beat-up Chevy sedan. The car was a practical splurge, she had decided. The result of four years’ worth of saving tips from waitressing gigs at Vale University, and in White Harbor during school breaks. 

She came from an old, prestigious family and her parents were wealthy, but they wanted their children to make it in the world on their own. Her father had set up his finances so that Sansa would inherit some of her trust at 26. Until then, she was left to support her independent lifestyle herself. 

This was probably why she and her siblings were down to earth and well-adjusted. Joffrey had been given access to unlimited funds and no discipline, no wonder he turned out to be psychotic, she thought.

Sansa slammed her car door and looked up at the beautiful, old rustic home. She didn’t know a lot (or anything really) about architecture but it seemed Italian in style. The yellow stucco was covered in ivy, and slightly crumbling in some places. The forest green paint that outlined the windows and shutters was chipping. It looked far from dilapidated, but rather charming. She smiled to herself and admired the look of it all.

A man a few years older than her father, with a large bushy beard came out of the house. “You must be Sansa! I’m Davos, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He was warm and enthusiastic and took her bags as they walked inside. 

“Sansa, this is my wife, Marya.” Marya smiled and pulled Sansa in for an embrace. “It’s so nice to meet you, I hope you’ve had a nice trip down.” 

“Thank you, it was beautiful. I decided to take the longer route so that I could drive along the coast and appreciate the views.” Sansa smiled. “Are Shireen and Stannis here? It’s been so long since I’ve seen them.” Sansa made sure not to mention Selyse. She knew from her parents that she and Stannis had split a few years back, so perhaps it was best to avoid the subject.

Davos explained that Shireen was upstairs drawing and that Stannis was away on business and would be back tomorrow morning. He and Marya were watching Shireen in the meantime. Sansa felt surprisingly disappointed at hearing that Stannis wasn’t here. 

“Is he away a lot?” 

“It depends on our work really. Stannis and I opened up a Stormland’s branch of Baratheon & Co. a while back but the main office is still in King’s Landing, so sometimes it’s necessary to spend a bit of time there. Though I dare say Stannis would be much happier here and away from the hustle and bustle of the city.” Davos smiled. 

\--

Sansa dropped off her bags in her room and Davos took her to find Shireen. She was in a large room on the second floor, at the very end of the hall. The room had large windows that overlooked the yard. At some angles, she could see the ocean poking through. Shireen was sitting at a table in the corner, focused in on her drawing.

“Hi, Shireen!” 

“Hi.” Shireen replied shyly. She was 12 years old now and Ned and Catelyn had told Sansa that Shireen was a solitary sort of girl who liked to focus on her artwork. 

“What are you working on?” Sansa asked and Shireen showed her. It was a detailed portrait of a Red-Breasted Robin that was perched in a window. 

“Shireen. This is stunning.”

Shireen looked up at her and Sansa registered a small uptick on the girl’s lips. “Thank you.” She replied. Sansa returned with a big grin and asked to see some more of her work. Shireen happily showed off some of her other sketches and the two chatted. Though timid, Shireen was an open book and still as sweet as Sansa had remembered.

“So dad says that you’re here to live with us for a few months before you go back to school?” 

Sansa nodded. “I’m starting a graduate program in about six months. I’ll be studying literature in King’s Landing.”

Shireen looked deep in thought. “I guess that’s why Dad asked you to come and tutor me. It’s not that I’m bad at reading…” She took a pause and met Sansa’s eyes. “It’s just that I would rather be drawing. But I guess my teachers think that I need help.” Shireen’s cheeks had turned pink and she quickly shifted her eyes to look down at her sketchbook. Sansa’s heart broke a little at the thought of this talented girl not thinking that she was enough.

“Maybe you just haven’t found the right story yet.” Sansa reassured her. “A lot of books that I had to read in school were boring, but you just have to find something that’s exciting! A good story can transport you to a completely new world.” Sansa went on about the wonders of reading and noticed that Shireen’s eyes were wide with intrigue. Although she was twelve, Shireen possessed both the kind of innocence that made her seem younger, and classic preteen angst.

“I heard you have a big book report project that you need to do over the summer. I brought some of my favorite books from when I was your age, should we take a look at them together?” Shireen nodded.

Sansa showed Shireen some of her books until they came across Little Women. Sansa let out a huff and hugged the book close to her chest. “Now this is one of my favorite books. It’s about a group of sisters growing up during the civil war. They all have their own different personalities, but they get along for the most part. They put on plays, and recruit their neighbor into their shenanigans…”

“I always wanted to have sisters.” Shireen said quietly. “Maybe we could try this one.”

They read the first two chapters together and before they knew it, Davos was calling them down for dinner.

\--

Marya had cooked a roasted chicken with carrots and potatoes. It smelled heavenly but tasted better. They all sat around the table and ate, exchanged stories and laughed. It was very easy to get along with Davos and Marya. Sansa decided that they reminded her of home. Shireen excused herself to go upstairs and Marya refilled Sansa’s glass of wine.

“So Sansa, what brings you to the Stormlands for so long?” Marya asked.

“Well I’ll be starting a grad program in a few months and I’m trying to save up some money before I go. Plus, I always remembered how beautiful Storm’s End was and I admit that I imagined myself reading a lot of books on the beach here.”

“Aye, so it’s a beach vacation then.” Davos feigned offense and they all laughed.

“Well, I’m also thinking of becoming a teacher, so working with Shireen will be good practice. She’s a sweet girl” Sansa replied. 

“That she is.” Davos agreed. “We’re all a bit worried about her, you know. She’s become so quiet and she has a hard time making friends at school which I don’t get all. She’s one of the best people I know. We try to have her spend time with our boys but she always ends up going off to be by herself.” 

“Was her parent’s split hard on her?” Sansa asked.

Marya replied. “I think so, but it’s not like Selyse was ever the maternal type. Always a cold, demanding woman.” She shook her head and went on. “She hardly paid any attention to Shireen but of course the girl wanted her mother’s affection more than anything. And then she went off and left Stannis to raise her alone.”

“And from what I remember he’s not exactly Mr. Warmth.” Sansa said.

Davos chuckled to himself. “Aye. He can be a bit harsh and severe, but he’s not like that with the people he’s close to. He’s ferociously loyal and the best friend I’ve ever had. He adores Shireen but I admit he doesn’t always know how to show his emotions.”

Sansa was surprised to hear this account of Stannis. She had only had a brief moment with him a few years ago but Davos’s story hadn’t matched the picture of him that she had built in her head. He had hugged Shireen and seemed protective of her, Sansa recalled. In hindsight, he was probably giving her the third degree because he was worried for Shireen’s safety but 18-year-old Sansa was too immature to understand that. 

She decided that they should start fresh when he arrives home tomorrow. Sansa would give him another chance, free of any past prejudices. She was living in his house for the next six months, so she could at least do her part in trying not to make things too awkward. Perhaps they would even get along.


	3. Meeting Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I should probably include that Sansa is 23 and Stannis is 38.

Stannis spent the whole drive back to Storm’s End in a foul mood. He had just spent five days in a city he despised, away from his daughter and home, so that he could close an important deal with a prominent client that Baratheon & Co. had been courting for what seemed like forever.

Stannis had been in communication with the client and had been fine-tuning the deal for months. Everything was set to be easy and then... Robert. It was always fucking Robert. His brother had decided it was a good idea to sleep with their client’s daughter and the whole thing went to shit when he ended up with her on the front cover of a local tabloid. How could he have been so utterly careless? Stannis fumed.

Of course he was used to being the only one of his brothers that valued integrity and responsibility but this was on another level. Robert had always been determined to make Stannis miserable, and ruin his own life, but he was shining a public light on his own bad decisions and now it was affecting the company. 

Stannis’s desire to get away from his brother, as well as to be closer to Shireen, was what convinced him to open up a branch closer to home. As soon as it opened, he knew it was a great idea. He and Davos worked well together and he didn’t have to worry about bullshit like this happening. He made a mental note to reduce his travels to King’s Landing and to focus on building up their smaller branch.

Stannis went over the argument he had with his brother the day before. Robert had, for the thousandth time, shifted the blame onto Stannis for being too uptight. It wasn’t a big deal, Robert had said. He was just having “fun with a pretty woman.” Not caring that he was married, or that their client would be furious for giving his daughter a bad reputation. “You can never just lighten up, Stan.” Robert had said. Stannis ground his teeth at the memory. 

That was always the narrative with Robert, that Stannis was robotic, stiff, dour and unfeeling. Yes, he was serious, a bit proud, and an introvert but he wasn’t devoid of feelings. He felt things deeply actually but was skilled at keeping them internalized. 

He had felt for Selyse when they were first together. When she had pretended to enjoy his company and share his interests. Stannis was young and naïve and had never been in a relationship before. When they were married she had wanted more. She was angry that Stannis was always working and unwilling to take her to society parties. 

When they had Shireen, things became better for a short time but he could tell Selyse was miserable being stuck in the Stormlands. She thought that marrying one of the Baratheon brothers would afford her a lavish lifestyle in the heart of King’s Landing. Unfortunately for her, Stannis would rather live a quiet family life, enjoying his boat and spending time with his small group of loved ones. 

Her resentment grew, and she soon became mean and distant. It was a long time coming but Stannis felt the dissolve of his marriage deeply. He felt like a failure, not only to himself but to Shireen. Stannis pulled into his driveway and grew angry again as he thought of Robert’s implications. He had absolutely no idea what Stannis thought or felt. 

Stannis grabbed his things and headed briskly through the front door, slamming it behind him. He huffed around the corner to the kitchen and – BAM. He banged straight into something, dropping his to-go coffee all over the floor and on his button-down shirt.

“DAMNIT!” Stannis looked at the spilled liquid pooling on the floor.

“I’m so sorry! I, uhhh. Let me grab some paper towels.” Stannis suddenly registered the voice, and a blur of movement, and realized that the something he had knocked into was actually a someone. Another blur of movement and the voice came back, bending over the spill to mop it up. 

“What are you doing in my house, where’s Davos?” Stannis barked.

The person had now stood up to face him, and he got a good look at them for the first time. A stunningly beautiful woman, with long red hair and crystal blue eyes, was meeting his gaze.

“Stannis, I didn’t realize you would be home so early. I apologize.” The woman was wearing a white, cotton summer that illuminated her porcelain skin. Her delicate features started to sink in. “Sansa Stark.” He was staring and probably looked insane.

“Yes.” She stared back.

The last time he had seen Sansa Stark she was a teenager, still beautiful, but now she was a full-grown woman. That’s how time works you idiot, he thought to himself. He, however, had not expected to feel such an immediate, strong attraction to her. The silence started to grow awkward.

“I didn’t realize you were coming today.”

“Yesterday.”

“Ah.”

“Davos and Marya let me in, they went home to check on their boys.”

“Hm.”

The silence was back and he could tell they were sizing each other up, both trying to figure out how to make this less awkward. Sansa still held onto a wad of wet paper towels. Stannis glanced at the mess. “You really should watch where you’re going. There’s no need for such carelessness.” He said snidely. 

“I already apologized. Twice. And to be fair you were the one who came in here with fire and fury and knocked into me.” Sansa retorted.

“This is my house.” Stannis bit back. “And you weren’t even supposed to be here yet.”

“Yes, I was. Check your email, I said I was arriving today.” 

Stannis scoffed. What gives her the right to give me an attitude? He thought. He had just dealt with his brother and now he had to come home and deal with this? “It doesn’t matter. You’re here. Do what you like but I need to get changed. I expect you to be more aware of your surroundings in the future.” Stannis stormed took off upstairs.

\--

What a jackass! Sansa thought to herself as she walked around the near yard, still in sight of the house. She had a lesson with Shireen soon and she didn’t want to stray too far. Clearly he is actually that rude, and she hadn’t imagined it when they met the first time. 

He had collided into her. Not the other way around. It was like a brick wall hit her. She wasn’t hurt but she had felt how hard his body was. And she had apologized. He had no right to act like such a dick.

When they stood in silence she noticed his appearance. Tall, broad shoulders, lean and fit. His hair was still dark but was now receding and had streaks of silver in it. He was dressed in a white button-down shirt that showed off his body, and slim dress pants. He was actually quite good looking, or would be if he wasn’t perpetually frowning.

“I only have to deal with him for a few months.” She reasoned and headed back into the house for her lesson with Shireen. “But I am NOT apologizing anymore.”

\--

As a bit of time past Stannis realized that he overreacted. Still hung up from his fight with Robert, he had taken some of that out on Sansa and needed to apologize. He would find her but first Stannis knocked lightly on his daughter’s bedroom door and entered.

“Dad!” Shireen got out of her chair and Stannis hugged her. He wanted to pull her in tighter but she wasn’t a little girl anymore, and would probably be embarrassed by his affections. 

His sweet girl. She doesn’t deserve any of the sadness she carries. She didn’t deserve to be deserted by Selyse, or to have a father like him. She deserves so much more. He wanted to tell her all of this but it had become harder to communicate with her as she grew older and more reserved. 

When she was younger he would scoop her up and throw her over his shoulder, her giggling the whole time. They would go out sailing and spend the whole day together, fishing and swimming. They would ignore Selyse’s mood and go over to Davos and Marya’s for dinner. She was so full of joy.

Things were different now, Shireen was 12 and didn’t enjoy much of anything except drawing. He missed her but didn’t know how to get her back. Davos had suggested bringing her to see a therapist. They had tried but Shireen didn’t take to it and asked to stop going. Maybe it was a phase, he hoped so. 

“Shireen, are you ready to jump back in?” Sansa pushed the door open. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t know…” Stannis thought he saw Sansa curse herself for something.

“It’s ok. You can go on with your lesson, I just wanted to pop in and say hi to Shireen.” Stannis replied. He smiled at Shireen and walked towards the door to exit. Sansa moved to the side to let him pass but they both ended up in the doorway. Their bodies brushed against each other and Stannis stopped breathing. He thought he imagined Sansa shivering but it was definitely a mistake. 

Stannis began to walk down the hall when he realized that he forgot to apologize.

“Sansa” he called out and she appeared, gently shutting the door behind her. There was another silence as they stood facing each other. Right, I’m supposed to speak, he thought. 

“I apologize for knocking into you and for being rude. There’s no excuse for that and it won’t happen again.” He was determined to sound like a normal, functioning human and not the frazzled, uncertain person that he seemed to be in her presence.

“Oh. Thank you.” She replied. “I suppose I was a bit direct as well.” 

“How are the lessons going?” He asked, changing the subject.

“Well.” She smiled wide and Stannis could feel his skin burning, gods she was beautiful. “We only just started but Shireen is receptive and working hard.”

“That’s good. I’d like to sit down, perhaps tomorrow, and talk about your work together and what kind of lessons you’re planning.” 

“I’ll be here.” How is she so breezy? He thought. “Good. Tomorrow then.” 

“Tomorrow.” She replied back.

Stannis made to walk away when he heard her call out. “Oh, Stannis?” He turned around to face her. “I hope we can put this morning behind us, I’d really like for us to be friends.” Sansa said sweetly and he could tell that she meant it.

“Uh. Yes. Ok.” Sansa moved back into Shireen’s room and his body relaxed. Good gods,  
how was he supposed to be around her? 

“It’s only for a few months.” Stannis said to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how frequently I'll be updating but I didn't want to take a break without writing a meeting!


End file.
